Diarmaid Ferriter: Teaching unions must unite on pay

Teachers subjected to two-tier pay system that is compete antithesis of equality

Teachers at all levels have a particular balancing act to perform: to safeguard teachers’ welfare and to promote the interests of those they serve. Photograph: The Irish Times

The teachers’ conferences during the week revolved around demands for equality. The two-tier salary scales for teachers are doing great damage to the teaching profession and the education system.

In response, Minister for Education Richard Bruton has said “equality is fine in theory” but he has a bigger balancing act to perform. If this issue is not rectified, however, teaching conference motions will move from theoretical to real, with serious societal consequences.